SHOPPERS will be able to enjoy free car parking for two hours in Calne’s Heritage Quarter Car Park from today (Dec 7).
Local businesses and town councillors have been campaigning for months to get the trial introduced which, it is hoped, will drag people away from the free supermarket car parks in the town.
The town council’s town development and planning committee agreed to subsidise a six month trial with £3,600 paid to Wiltshire Council from Calne Town Council’s general reserves.
Starting at the height of the Christmas shopping rush, the trial is hoped to increase footfall to the independent businesses and historic streets within the Heritage Quarter.
Coun Robert MacNaughton said: “It is important we support local businesses, because they are the life blood of the town. We need to encourage more visitors to stay and enjoy what Calne has to offer.”
Accessed from the A4, and known to locals as Church Street car park, the site has recently been renamed to draw attention to the historic buildings that surround it.
The Calne Heritage Quarter is an area of the town centre which has been highlighted by a local tourism group, Calne Our Place, for its historic character and charm.
Within the Heritage Quarter visitors can find a range of independent businesses, Calne Heritage Centre and Castlefields Canal and River Park.
For more information about Calne Heritage Quarter, visit www.calne.gov.uk.
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